CHINESE NEW YEAR 2010

SUNDAY, FEB 14, CHINESE NEW YEAR 2010
CHINESE ZODIAC: THE YEAR OF THE TIGER

BEIJING (Sun) - Millions of Chinese visited families and sent text messages to friends on Sunday, the first day of the Year of the Tiger, with a traditional love of wordplay taking on a political twist in some telephone text greetings. Streets were quiet on New Year's Day, as Chinese gathered at home to eat foods whose names are homonyms for words associated with prosperity, fortune and long life. The Chinese New Year does not follow the western calendar and the fist day of the Chinese lunar New Year can be any day between late Jan and mid-Feb. It is said that the Chinese Zodiac which designates the lunar New Year cycle was introduced by Emperor Huang Ti in 2600 BC. Thus the year 2010 on the western calendar is the Chinese lunar year 4708. By tradition, there is a Spring festival that lasts 7 to 15 days to start the new year. The biggest event is on the New Year eve. All members of a family try come together, no matter how far away they are, to have dinner and the Spring Festival together to celebrate the New Year. Dishes are often the best of the year a family can prepare. In old China, people do not have much money to buy good foods and they would save money throughout the year and then prepare the best for the big dinner. Pork, chicken, fish and soy products are often seen on the dinner table. There can be 10 to 15 dishes on a table. The holiday starts from that dinner.

Nowadays most people often watch TV after dinner. In old days, older people go to sleep early and children stay up all night playing. On the first day of the Chinese New year, people often stay home. On the second day some people like newly wed couples may go visit the wives' families. And on the third day, most people - often times family members go together visit relatives and friends. In poor areas of old China, people might simply bring with them a few pounds of white cane sugar, which was a good gift at that time. In return, the hosting families will give visitors particularly young children a little paper money wrapped in red paper.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

China is one of the oldest countries in the world. During the period of Bharata War (Kuruksetra), Vagadatta of Pragyotispur joined the Kurus and we find that the Chinese people sided with Vagadatta, the king of Pragyotispur. It is also found that Vagadatta was present in Yudhisthira's court with many Kirāt, Chin, and other soldiers. The connection between China and India was of a very ancient standing, and we find in “The Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan” - written by Lt. Col. James Todd (1822) - that the genealogists of China and Tartary declare themselves to be the descendants of Āyu, son of the Hindu king Purūravā.

“The Rig Vedic Culture and the Indus Civilization”
Vedic Connections – Ancient Vedic World
http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/connections/Eastern-Asia.php